If you hadn’t heard, last year Canoe and Canoe Polo raised over £1,100 for Coventry and Warwickshire Mind with our first ever Paddleathon! What is a paddleathon you ask? Well we set up ergos (like rowing machines but for kayaking) and for 24 hours on the piazza, we make sure someone is paddling AT ALL TIMES.

So due to its crazy success, we are doing this AGAIN later this term (date TBC)! More details will follow about how to take part, but for now we need to decide on a charity.

The following is a shortlist the exec have come up with, so please read about them and vote in the facebook poll.

PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. Their aim is to reduce the number of young people who decide to take their own lives through measures such as providing help and support to vulnerable young people and education about how to spot someone who is considering suicide. There is a brand new branch of Papyrus based in the West Midlands which Warwick SU has been working with closely this year. If we fundraise for PAPYRUS we could have an end goal of raising enough funds to get a certain group of people trained in ASIST (applied suicide intervention skills training).

The aim of the Trussell Trust is to end hunger and poverty in the UK. They support a nationwide network of over 1,200 food banks to provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to tackle the cause of poverty and end the need for food banks in the UK. One of the foodbanks that Trussell Trust supports is the coventry foodbank which has 17 different centres across coventry.

Change grow live is a free and confidential drug and alcohol service that provides help and support to adults, children, young people and families. They believe that everyone has the right to lead the best life they can. Their accessible services empower people to improve their health and wellbeing and achieve positive and life-affirming goals.CGL Coventry offers treatment and recovery I services in a range of local community settings: Their recovery teams are based across the city and include doctors, recovery coordinators, nurses, recovery champions, peer mentors and volunteers.

This poll will close in 2 days time, let us know who you want to support this year!